For safe drives, Uber app will monitor the drivers

This time, Uber will not use its own drivers but limit itself to putting customers in contact with South Korean luxury taxi drivers who will be distinguished by the black colour of their cars and for charging higher-than-usual rates.NEW DELHI: Heeding reports of tired and distracted drivers on Uber getting into accidents, the cab aggregator will roll out safety features globally on its driver app that will let them monitor and manage their driving better.

Bengaluru will be the first city to get the update in the coming weeks, and it will be rolled out to other cities slowly.

The update includes daily reports to drivers about their driving patterns, messages in the driver app informing them that mounting their phone on the dashboard is safer than holding the phone in their hand, speed display in the app, and reminders about the importance of taking a break when they need it.

“While alcohol is the leading cause of traffic crashes, there are other behaviours that can put people at risk, including distracted and unsafe driving. Today we are announcing new features in the driver app to help reduce these risks going forward,” Dorothy Chou, head of safety for public policy, Uber, said.

While driving patterns would help a driver compare to other drivers in their city-—with suggestions on how to provide a smoother and safer ride, the speed display would alert them about over speeding, eventually benefiting the customers.

Reports of overworked or fatigued Uber drivers have surfaced in several parts of the world, including India. In April this year, an Uber driver, who had worked for 14 hours, ran over a cycling enthusiast, and questions were raised about how cab aggregators deal with driver fatigue, who work long hours to earn higher incentives through their rides.